Catherine stared at where he had been standing long after he'd disappeared from sight. She was numb. Her mind couldn't comprehend what had just happened. She had never seen him so upset. At least not at her. What made matters worse, is she hadn't even done anything wrong. He said he needed time to think. 'Maybe I should give it to him.' she thought. 'He's just upset. He couldn't have meant it...could he?...But how did Diane get a letter here from Spain so quickly.' It wasn't adding up. But she couldn't think about that right now.

She went back to her room for awhile to give him space. After a couple of hours, she emerged and went looking for him. She went to his room, but he wasn't there. She looked in the stables and the garden and all around the castle but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, she went to see Mary.

"Catherine, if you're here about Kenna, I've spoken with her and she is very aware at my discontent with her." she said. Catherine didn't hear any of it.

"Have you seen Bash anywhere? I can't seem to find him." she asked her expression a bit pained. She was starting to get worried.

"No I haven't. Is everything alright?" she replied.

"I...We had a fight. I...he said he needed to think...He...was so mad." she couldn't believe she was actually saying the words she was saying. Mary could sense something was very wrong.

"A fight? About what?" she asked taking a step forward.

"He...He got a letter from his sister... There were assassins found...at the chateau...They were after Diane. They didn't know she'd gone to Spain...They had a letter with my signature and seal...I...didn't...I swore to him...he...he didn't believe me. He said...He said he made a mistake." she struggled to get the words out. She was shaking, trying not to break down. She was afraid if she let herself get upset over it, it would make it real. Mary put her hand on her shoulder. "You believe me...don't you?"

"I do believe you. I'm sure he's somewhere. You probably just keep missing him. Did you check your room? Maybe he went back there to apologize." she offered. Catherine eased a bit at the small glimmer of hope.

"No. I hadn't thought of that." she said

"Come on then, I'll come with you." Mary said getting the door and holding it open for her. They made their way to Catherine's room, but when they got there the room was empty.

"He's not here." Catherine said deadpan, frozen in her place. Mary's eyes skimmed the room and she noticed a note on her bed.

"Catherine." she said pointing to the bed. Catherine looked at Mary and then let her eyes follow to where she was pointing. She slowly walked over to the bed and looked down at the letter. It had her name scrawled across the front. All of the sudden she couldn't remember how to use her arms.

"I can't...Mary..." she choked out. Mary put her hand on her shoulder for a second and then picked up the letter. She read it silently, but her expression told Catherine enough. She wouldn't believe it until she heard the words.

"He's gone. He's left for Anet. He...he said he can't marry you...if he can't trust you." Mary finished, her hand going to cover her mouth. Catherine's legs suddenly felt like they were made of mud and she she sank slowly to sit on the bed. She started to shake her head.

"No. No. He can't be. He wouldn't..." she couldn't breath. Mary sat next to her and put her hand back on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be back. He's just upset. He must know you wouldn't..." She began but the words stopped making sense. Catherine was struggling to hold back the tears. A single drop fell from Catherine's eye, as the dam holding her emotions started to crumble. He left. He didn't want her anymore. She couldn't bare it anymore. Mary pulled her into a hug and she finally started to cry.

A short time later, Mary was emerging from Catherine's room, after she had calmed down a little, and she bumped into Greer in the hall.

"Mary. Are you alright? You look upset." she asked.

"It's Cathrine. Bash has left her." Greer looked confused. "It was all a misunderstanding, but he's gone. She's devastated."

"Good. I guess my plan worked then." Kenna said coming up behind them. Mary turned slowly to look at her. Anger growing on her face.

"You. You did this?" she took a step toward her. "How dare you."

"Someone had to save Bash from her wicked ways." she said. Mary slapped her. Kenna's hand went to her cheek, her expression filled with shock.

"You have gone to far. You had no right. You say that Catherine is wicked. Well what does this make you?" she asked angry.

"Mary I..." she began.

"I don't have time to deal with this right now. I have to try and get Bash back here...Greer." she and Greer started to walk away when she turned back for a moment. "You had better hope Catherine never finds out about this, because I'm sure that will be your end." she turned back away in huff and left her stunned in hallway.

Mary wrote Bash a letter and sent it with Leith to Anet. Then she and Greer prayed that it would be enough to bring him back.

When Leith arrived in Anet, Bash was sitting outside the chateau with his sister drinking tea and looking miserable.

"Leith. What are you doing here?" he said getting up to greet him. "Louis, this is Leith. He was my second in command at the castle, Leith this is my sister, Louise." Leith bowed his head and turned back to look at Bash.

"I've been sent to bring you back to the castle..." he started but Bash cut him off.

"If Catherine thinks she can..." then Leith cut him off in return.

"Catherine didn't send me. Queen Mary did. She ordered me not to leave until you read her letter." he said handing it to him. Bash took it.

"Alright, if it will get you to leave..." he said and began reading it. A look of shock started to wash over his face. Kenna. Kenna had sent the men to the chateau. It wasn't Catherine. He didn't believe her. No. He couldn't have accused her of this and been wrong. He wouldn't accept that he'd done that to her. He turned back to his sister. "Louise, those men you captured. Did you send them off yet?"

"No. They're still locked up downstairs. Why?" she said. He didn't answer. He just took off inside. Leith followed after.

He rushed downstairs and flung open the cellar door.

"You two! That letter that was found on you? Who gave it to you?" They said nothing. They were clearly terrified. "Who gave it to you?" he said again, grabbing one of them by the collar.

"It...it was a man...he said he was a guard from the castle, but he ain't had no uniform on. He said said the lady that sent him would give us 'nough money to feed our family for a month." he said.

"We ain't really assassins. We wasn't even gonna hurt no one. He said to just make 'em think we was. We wasn't supposed to get caught. We was just supposed to leave the letter. We just wanted to feed our families. Please don't let them kill us." said the other. Bash's face went white.

"A lady." he said.

"Yeah. He said she was a pretty young thing. Then he looked scared, like he done said too much." said the first man. Bash turned to Leith.

"Get these two back to the castle. I need them to tell Mary everything they just told me. I'll ride ahead. I have to get back there as quickly as I can. I have made a mistake after all." he ordered.

He rode faster than he ever had. The guilt driving him. Why didn't he believe her? He wanted to kick himself. Kenna would pay for this.

When he finally arrived at the castle again. Catherine was sitting on their bench in the garden. He watched her for just a moment from around the corner. He could see the sadness in her eyes. What had he done? He collected himself and slowly walked toward her. When she finally noticed him, she looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost. He slowly went to sit next to her.

"Catherine, I..." he said. She quickly stood.

"No. Don't." she replied. He stood too.

"I'm so sorry. I know now you didn't do this. I should've believed you before."

"After all we've been through...How could you?"

"I...just know how much you hate her...I know that's no excuse. I know how mad you must be at me, no madder than I am at myself." he reached for her arm and she pulled it back. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I wish I could take it back. Can we just go back to yesterday, pretend this never happened?"

"I can't do that. You were right, what you said in your letter was right. We can't be married if you can't trust me." she turned and started walking away.

"Catherine. Catherine please don't..." he said, as she retreated into the castle.